Miramare Castle

History

Miramare Castle and its park were built by order of Ferdinand Maximilian (1832–1867), of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. In 1850, at the age of eighteen, Ferdinand Maximilian - younger brother of Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria - came to Trieste with his own younger brother, Archduke Charles. Immediately afterwards he set off on a short cruise in the eastern Mediterranean.

This journey confirmed him in his intention to sail and to get to know the world. In 1852 he was appointed an officer and in 1854 he became Commander in Chief of the Imperial Austrian Navy. He decided to move to Trieste and to have a home built facing the sea and surrounded by a park worthy of his name and rank.

According to tradition, when the archduke was caught in a sudden storm in the Gulf, he took shelter in the little harbour of Grignano and chose a bare rocky spur of limestone origin as the setting for his home. The whole complex, purchased for the first time at the beginning of March 1856, was called Miramar, possibly after the name of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry's residence in Pena, Portugal.

Designed in 1856 by Carl Junker, an Austrian architect, the architectural structure of Miramare was finished in 1860. The style reflects the artistic interests of the archduke, who was acquainted with the eclectic architectural styles of Austria, Germany and England. The craftsman Franz Hofmann and his son, Julius Hofmann, were entrusted with the furnishing and decorations. Hofmann, who worked in the city of Trieste, was a skillful artisan who was willing to follow Maximilian’s suggestions. Both the artisan and his patron had a similar cultural formation and they were well acquainted with the eclectic tendencies of the time. …

Museum

Visitors to the castle will be able to see the following: Maximilian's chambers and those of his consort, Charlotte; the guest rooms; the information room telling the history of the castle and the park's construction; the Duke Amedeo of Aosta's apartment with furnishings from the 1930s in the Rationalist style. All the rooms still feature the original furnishings, ornaments, furniture and objects dating back to the middle of the 19th century. Particularly noteworthy are the music room where Charlotte used to play the fortepiano, now on show in room VII. In room XIX there are a series of paintings by Cesare dell'Acqua depicting the history of Miramare. Lastly, visitors may visit the throne room, which was recently restored to its former splendour.